Good FPV Camera?

[RC-Mallory]

I am getting into miniquad racing/freestyle and was having some trouble with my current camera. Unfortunately, I don't really know what it is and it doesn't have any info on it, but I do know it was really cheap... I am running into issues with the ground being completely black whenever the sky is in view. I know there are some really nice cameras out there that would fix the problem, but I'm not sure what they are. I am on a pretty tight budget, so cheaper the better, and as long as it produces an image that is usable for flying, then that works for me. The other problem I was running into when looking for a good camera is that I am running off of a 4S setup and most of the cameras max at 12V. Do I need to find something that can take a 4S battery straight or do I need a BEC for a 5V camera instead? (my video TX does not supply power to the camera like some do)
Any suggestions for a decent, cheap, and somewhat large FOV cam would be great.

 

[shermanhartman]

Most cameras used now-a-days are 12v. So regardless of what camera you use, you're going to need to get some kind of buck converter or BEC.
For buck converters/BECs, i suggest these. Mighty cheep and they work great. I've never tested them up to 3 amps and i doubt they would put out that much, but they do what you need on FPV gear. I suggest trying to find them from a US seller instead of waiting for shipping from china.

As for the camera, the go-to budget camera for most people is the 600TVL SONY SUPER HAD. They aren't the greatest camera on the market, but for the price, it pretty much can't be beat. Pick US shipping option when you order, and make sure it comes with the 2.8mm lens. Its much better for FPV than the default 3.2mm.

 

[ElectriSean]

https://store.flitetest.com/lumenier-cm-650-mini-650tvl-camera-26x26mm/

5-20V

 

[Snarls]

Check out the Runcam Swift. It is very small and can accept up to 17v. It is suppose to outperform the HS117 which outperforms the PZ0420 which is the camera sherman mentions.

 

[French]

I just got my runcam swift in the mail yesterday. So far, I'm impressed, but I haven't put it through major outdoor tests yet. I will this weekend.

 

[RC-Mallory]

Check out the Runcam Swift. It is very small and can accept up to 17v. It is suppose to outperform the HS117 which outperforms the PZ0420 which is the camera sherman mentions.

Thanks for the suggestion, I have seen some very good reviews on this camera. I noticed that it has an option to allow the camera to be infrared sensitive, how would this effect low light flying and what would the consequences be for regular (daylight) flying?

 

[Snafu]

Bruce on RCModelReview did a vid this morning on FPV cameras that answers a lot of your questions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FI9ChaE6og

 

[Richmond2000]

the hs1177 is the "go to" camera for the rotor riot pilots
CMOS has the issue with light and dark imaging as demonstrated in the VID above VS a CCD like the HS1177